SSL Team Madagascar joins the SSL Team Community as a new team, becoming another African team to take part in the development of sailing across the continent. For the Malagasy team, training in Seychelles is not only an important step in their sporting development, but also a historic moment for sailing in Madagascar. Looking ahead, the team will continue to develop with the ambition of competing for a place in future SSL Gold Cup editions through the African continental qualifiers.
Jeffrey, the main trimmer of the Malagasy team, is currently in Seychelles with his teammates, gaining valuable experience and training on boats that are not yet available in Madagascar.
“It's been an honor to be able to sail for the SSL. It's historic actually because it's the first time ever that Madagascar has a national sailing team. And we are really proud to represent Madagascar overseas in terms of sailing,” says Jeffrey.
For the Malagasy sailors, travelling abroad is currently a necessary part of their development. The team does not yet have access to this type of boat in Madagascar, making training opportunities such as the one in Seychelles particularly important.
“They are really important because as of now we don't have these kind of boats in Madagascar. But the aim is to one day have these kind of boats in Madagascar and train over there. Because as of now we have to go overseas, like Seychelles for example, to train.”
At the same time, being in Seychelles provides the team with much more than valuable time on the water. Training alongside other African teams, exchanging experiences and sailing in different conditions are all part of the learning process.
“It's a great experience because we get to meet other teams like Senegal for instance. And we get to meet everyone. We're learning a lot. Different conditions, different ways of sailing, and it's amazing.”
One Mind, One Team
One of the biggest challenges for the new team is teamwork. In the SSL format, every movement matters, and the speed and efficiency of the boat depend on the synchronization of the entire crew.
“The biggest challenge is teamwork because that's the base of the SSL. Teamwork is like we need synchronization. It's like we need to have one mind to think at one, like one team of course.”
For Jeffrey, every member of the crew has to work together to make the boat go faster and execute manoeuvres effectively.
“Everybody has to work together to go fast, to turn fast, to gybe or to tack.”
Bringing Sailing Back to the Sea
For Madagascar, the development of a national team could have an impact that goes far beyond sporting results. Jeffrey sees the SSL initiative as an opportunity to bring greater attention to sailing in his country.
“It's the first time ever that we see an organization developing sailing across Africa. We are really glad to be part of it, to be considered and we hope to go really far.”
Madagascar's identity as an island also makes the development of sailing particularly meaningful.
“In terms of Madagascar, we hope that it will shine a light on sailing because we're an island. Like Seychelles, we're an island and as of now, we kind of turn our back to the sea. And with this kind of initiative, we can look at the sea and say that we can do something with it.”
Jeffrey hopes that the project will eventually inspire more people in Madagascar to discover sailing.
“Who knows, maybe later on we'll have more Malagasy be interested in sailing.”
Cuera: A Symbol of Madagascar
The team's name also carries a special meaning. Cuera is an endemic parrot from Madagascar and, according to Jeffrey, an endangered species.
“Cuera is the name of the Malagasy sailing team. Cuera is an endemic parrot from Madagascar. It's also endangered, so we would like to shine a light on this species because it's almost going extinct.”
The choice was also made to give the sailing team a distinctive identity.
“All the animals have been taken by the other national sports team of Madagascar. So that's why we want to be unique, to have a unique symbol. So we took Cuera.”
The arrival of SSL Team Madagascar in the SSL Team Community is therefore about much more than adding another team to the African sailing scene. It represents the beginning of a long-term project focused on developing sailors, gaining international experience and building the foundations for future participation in the SSL Gold Cup through the African continental qualifiers.
For Madagascar, it is also an opportunity to turn back towards the sea — and to show that, as an island nation, sailing can become an important part of its sporting future.
